UKIP leader Paul Nuttall has resigned after his party failed to keep a single seat during yesterday’s election.

The controversial leader stood as UKIP’s candidate in Boston and Skegness but he only managed to receive 7.7% of the constituency’s votes.

He came in third overall after receiving only 3,308 votes. Tory candidate Matt Warman took the seat after receiving 27,271 votes. Mr Nuttall also trailed behind Labour’s candidate who received 10,699 votes.

Mr Nuttall announced his resignation during a press conference this morning. However, he said that UKIP could come back from its defeat stronger than ever .

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader (Image: PA)

During the briefing Mr Nuttall said: “I even predict after last night that if things go the way I expect that UKIP could, in 18 months time, be bigger in terms of poll ratings and members than it has ever been before.

“However it will not be with me as its leader. I am standing down today as the leader of UKIP with immediate effect.

Read More

“This will allow the party to have a new leader in place by the conference in September. And at the annual conference in Torquay the new rebranded UKIP must be born and a new era must begin with a new leader.”

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader (Image: PA)

He went on to insist that UKIP was “more relevant than ever” and would play the role in the coming months of the “guard dogs of Brexit”.

Overall UKIP suffered a devastating defeat during the election. The party saw its votes plummet to 2% of the nation’s total, down from 12.6% under Nigel Farage.

Until recently UKIP held one Commons seat, Clacton in Essex, but last night the party lost that seat to Conservative candidate Giles Watling.

Douglas Carswell won the seat for the Conservative Party in 2015 but later defected to UKIP. In March this year he quit UKIP, but voters found themselves unable to back his replacement Paul Oakley.